I’m planning on driving out to the Grizzly warehouse in about two weeks and am still trying to decide between two bandsaws, the G0457 and the G0555X. I’ve looked at SC, Delta, Rikon & Jet and feel comfortable with Grizzly. My immediate constraint is space; I work in a small basement shop with a low ceiling. Everything needs to be on wheels, and ideally should be under 74” high including the mobile base.
I am an amateur(ish) hobbyist, and want the saw to resaw wood for drawer and box sides, make thin cuts for inlay bandings and possibly cut veneer, in addition to rounding off bowl blanks and the other miscellany that bandsaws are good for. Long term, I would like to win the lottery and move into a bigger shop. In that case I would probably want two saws, one dedicated to resawing, and a smaller one for other things. For the present, I need one saw for both purposes, but I also want one that will be a keeper should I have the opportunity to expand.
Option 1
I’m leaning to the G0457. This seems large and strong enough for all present and future resawing needs, and is a versatile saw for everything else. Other than for gloat purposes, would I need/want to upgrade this saw for resawing purposes? And if I did, would I be happy using this saw for all other bandsawing needs?
Option 2
If the G0457 is not a lifetime saw either for resawing or cutting curves, and if the G0555X would be a lifetime saw for smaller work, and can resaw adequately for the present, then it makes sense to get the smaller saw now. I probably wouldn’t get the riser block, and would figure out a workaround in the event I had to resaw more than 6”.
Am I approaching this the right way and asking the right questions? If so, what are people’s thoughts? And long term am I going to have wished I’d hunkered down, saved more money and got a Laguna?
Thanks,
Simon
Replies
This is easy
Simon,
2hp vs. 1-1/2, 10" hight max vs. 6",
Go with the G0457 which will also take a small blade for scroll work. Will do everything the other saw will and more.
I have the G0513 17" BS which is just a basic saw but I love it.
Bret
Simon,
If you are looking for a machine that is made in Taiwan, with cheap parts and even cheaper labor(do they even have to pay their workers in Taiwan?), then go get yourself a Grizzly. If you want a quality machine you will have to spend a bit more but it will be worth it in the run.
Z, if we all eliminate Made-in-Taiwan machines from consideration, we'll have a hard time tooling our shops -- well, unless we're quite well-heeled. Funny, just yesterday I visited a professional cabinetmaker on the island here who has a shop filled with everything from old-iron to newly made machiines. Big machines. They work every day for hours and hours and hours. We talked about country of origin, how things had changed over the years, and the quality of the various machines in his shop. Conclusion was "things have changed" -- made in Taiwan is no longer a bad thing. Lots of good, big-name machines made there with strong quality control and fine end-product quality. Similar to how "Made in Japan" was once a mark of cheapness, but no longer. This is not to say that every MIT machiine is great, but nor is it obviously poorly made.
I'd go for the G0457 (completely ignoring zgmc's condemnatory comment above). You do lose 2" of potential resaw capacity (the optional riser kit for the G0555x), but you'll get a better-built saw with more power. I have their now-very-old 1019Z 14" band saw, and though it's not as good a saw as the 555X, it has plenty of power and cuts great. Grizzly band saw motors have consistently outperformed the ones on the smaller (14") Jet and Delta saws, so you're good to go there. The higher up you go in any given Grizzly product line you go, the more apt you are to be satisfied over a long haul.
I agree with Forestgirl. get the G0457...or the biggest one you can afford. I recently bought the 19" G0514X bandsaw. I was originally going to get a Jet 14" and the more i thought about it and kept reading different reviews i decided to go for a larger BS and expect this to be the last bandsaw i will ever buy.
Regarding zgmc's comment...i'm a engineer by day and woodworker by night and therefore very familiar with manufacturing processes. The company i work for spends lots of money to improve manufacturing processes. The process that every company tries to emulate is Toyota's PES manufacturing process... which happens to be a foreign company. Grizzly products are produced in a ISO9001 factory (just like the Made in USA brands) so you can bet they are of equal quality as far as manufacturing is conserned. Not to mention that the majority of the components on any bandsaw (american or foreign) are from over seas. Where some people see the differences is in the technology that went into the BS. For instance, some higher end Jet BS's have a triangular tube which reduces flex better than a rectangular neck. This is most likely only noticeable when using large blades (1" or larger) with high tensions (such as bi-metal blades). Basically, home hobbyists like you and me won't notice a difference.
Grizzly also has a great parts inventory! there's a good chance that if and when you wear through your tires in 20 years. they'll still have it in stock and available.
good luck!
All,
Thanks for the advice. I'm looking forward to the trip. While there is something satisfying about resawing by hand, I don't think I'll miss it.
Simon
Fun trip
Have a fun trip, Guy. I live a ferry ride and a couple hour's drive from the Bellingham, WA, showroom and it's always fun to cruise the place. One caveat though -- if you have your heart set on bringing one home in the truck, be sure and call ahead. They sometimes don't have a certain model in stock, especially if it's popular or has recently been on sale.
BTW, I pushed my old 1019Z nearly to the max last night, and it did just fine. Squared off soaking-wet maple round, ~10" high, and took a bowl-blank out of it. That saw doesn't hold a candle to the one you're getting, I think you'll be happy with it.
Got it
So, I did go to Grizzly and came back with the 457. It's fully assembled, but I haven't done the wiring yet. I can't wait to start resawing.
By the way, the tent sale was the way to go. We got there a bit late, so most of what was left were major engineering projects. However, they also had a number of specials from DeWalt, PC, Makita, Bessey, etc, which were material discounts from anything I've seen anywhere else. The folks there were also really nice, a great place to visit, but an expensive day.
Resaw can be .. Can I say a bitch? whatever you have or do... No hate to any woman here... I have many females in my family. I love Em' a bunch... Resawing is a different animal.. I for one, thinks that the best resaws were done with a power feeder.
Perhaps
I don't know. Still, this has to be easier, if not as spiritually uplifting, as using my old Diston. Although the Diston didn't require a wiring guide ...
By the way, re your tag line, I was talking to someone and asked how he was, and the response was, "well, I'm on the right side of the grass." Can't argue with that.
Get thee good blades....
Congrats on the new saw. I hope you have excellent blades on hand for your first resaw experiment. A sub-par blade can ruin the whole effort!
Hi Simon,
I have been using the G0555X now for a few years and it is a good bandesaw but given the 2 options you are looking at I would choose the G0457 without hesitation.
I would almost guarantee that you will need and want more than 6" of cutting height once you see what you can do with a bandsaw. I know you can get a riser but having the saw come with a greater capacity out of the box is better in my opinion.
The other plus for the G0457 is the cast iron wheels verses the aluminum on the G0555X; another big plus in my opinion. And more hp is never a bad thing.
Some may feel that your resaw capacity should match your jointer width; but thats another discussion as far as I'm concerned.
So thats my opinion; take that and a couple of bucks and you can buy yourself a cup of coffee.
Perry
Thanks
It's nice to hear good things about Grizzly. As I mentioned, I got the 457. It is fully assembled, but I forgot to buy a plug last night, so I still haven't gotten to turn it on.
What kills me is that they have a 17 inch bandsaw for the same price, but it's just too big for my small workshop.
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